Shoe rack



July 16, 1-929. H. L. GLIDDEN SHOE RACK Filed Oct. 20, 1927 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES V 1,720,893 PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. GLIDDEN, OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF RATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF 3 NEW JERSEY.

SHOE RACK.

Application filed October 20,1927. Serial No. 227,558.

This invention relates to racks such as are used for supporting shoes between opera-- tions performed upon the shoes during their manufacture. I

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a rack of the type set forth in United States Letters Patent No.'1,556,4:25, granted October 6, 1925, upon an application filed in the name of W. E. Coombes et al., and in which there are provided shoe-supporting members comprising fiat pins or paddles spaced at their outer ends for receiving the heel ends of shoes, and a toe rest extending across the pins for positioning the foreparts of the shoes.

In the use of shoe racks of the type referred to considerable injury to shoes carried in the racks hasresulted from the accumulation of loose tacks upon the surfaces of the pins adjacent to the toe rest, particularly during the tack-pulling operation, at which time it is almost impossible to prevent some tacks from falling upon the exposed portions of the rack. If such tacks arepermitted to remain in the vicinity of shoe-engaging portions of the pins, it is quite likely that shoes will be scratched or otherwise injured as they are placed in the rack or as they are jostled about on the pins while the rack is moved from one place to another. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoe rack construction in which the likelihood of injury to uppers of shoes carried in the rack by tacks will be practically eliminated.

Accordingly the invention provides an im proved shoe rack comprising shoe-supporting members so shaped as to carry away from the vicinity of shoe-engaging portions of the rack loose tacks which accumulate upon the members. As illustrated, the shoe-supporting members are relatively flat pins or paddles'spaced apart at their outer ends to receive and support shoes, the rearward side edge portions of each pin being beveled to prevent tacks from collecting uponthe surfaces of the pins along the toe rest in the vicinity of the foreparts of shoes positioned on the toe rest. The beveled side edges of adjacent pins form grooves which extend under the toe rest rearwardly from the spaces between the outer ends of the pins. Preferably, the pins are positioned with their outer ends inclined upwardly, the rear ends being received in a supporting member which extends longitudinally of the rack and is provided with a plurality of openings located in alignment with thegrooves so that tacks which fallinto the grooves will passby gravity out of the rack. I I

These and other featuresof the invention will be best understood from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe rack embodying the invention; i

Fig. 2 is a segmental view of a portion of the rack looking parallel to the plane of the pins; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the rack, i p t I The illustrated shoe rack comprises a frame 10 which supports one or more shelves, one of which is shown at12.' Each of the shelves comprises two end pieces 14 connected by longitudinally extending frame members comprising ,cross-bar 1G and back-rail 18. Mounted in a groove 20 (liig. 3),]in the backrail 18 are a plurality o f pins 22 which rest between theirends upon the cross-bar 16 and are secured to the latter. The pins22 are of the flat paddle type disclosed in the above mentioned Letters PatentNo. 1,556,425. The rearward side edge portionsof adjacent pins are in engagement witheachother, thus formpins. When positio'nedinslots 26 the toe rest acts as a supportfor the foreparts of the shoes,"as above indicated, and when located in the slots 28 acts as a heel stop'for shoes carried on the pins in upright position.

With the exception of the outwardly facing side edges of the end pins in the rack, the rear,- ward side edges of each of the pins are beveled. The beveled portionsof adjacent'pins 105 abut each other to form a plurality of grooves 30 which extend re arwardly under the toe rest fromthe spaces formed between the outer portions of the pinsto the'back-rail 18. In

alignment with each of the grooves 30 the 110,

ing, with end pieces lt, cross-bar 16 and 9 rest against movement longitudinally of the back-rail 18 is provided with a circular opening 32.

In the use of the rack, shoes are placed upon the pins 22, as above indicated and as shown, for example, in Figs. 2 and 3. Because of the inclination of the pins any tacks which fall on the pins will, especially when the rack is in movement, tend to pass rearwardly of the rack and collect on the upper surfaces of the pins adjacent to the toe rest 24. It will be observed upon inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 that a shoe such as shoe 34, indicated in dotted lines, when supported in the rack, will be so positioned that tacks which accumulate in front of the toe rest at the central portions of the pins will be remote from the forepart of the shoe and consequently out of position for injuring it. Those tacks which tend to accumulate directly in front of the toe rest near the side edges of the pins will drop into the grooves 30 and will be carried rearwardly by gravity out through the openings 32. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a construction which lessens the likelihood of injury to shoes from tacks carried in the rack without sacrificing the characteristic advantages of racks as heretofore constructed.

Furthermore, by the present construction cleaning of the upper surface of the rack is facilitated because of the fact that openings are provided in the back of the rack and grooves leading to the openings conduct dirt, tacks, or other objectionable matter out of the back of the rack. Thus to clean the rack all that is necessary is to brush the upper surfaces of the pins lengthwise of the rack and then to tilt the rack toward the rear in order that the objectionable matter may pass out through the openings.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 2- 1. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of flat shoe-supporting pins having beveled side edges for preventing the accumulation of tacks in the vicinity of shoe-engaging portions of the rack.

2. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of flat shoe-supporting pins, the outer ends of the pins being spaced apart to receive shoes and the side edge portions of the pins being beveled rearwardly from the spaces between the outer ends of the pins.

3. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe-supporting members, the upper surfaces of said members being provided with grooves for conducting loose tacks away from the vicinity of shoe-engaging portions of the rack.

4. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe-supporting members having their outer ends inclined upwardly, the upper surfaces of said members being provided with grooves from the spaces'between the outer ends of the pins.

7. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe-supporting members, the outer ends of adjacent members being spaced apart to receive shoes between them and the rearward side edge port-ions of adjacent members being in engagement with each other,"said members having grooves formed in their upper surfaces along their engaging portions.

8. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of flat shoe-supporting pins,the outer ends of the pins being tilted upwardly, and the outer ends of adjacent pins being spaced apart to receive and support shoes, and a toe rest extending across the upper surfaces of the pins, the upper surfaces of the rearward side edge portions of the pins being beveled to form grooves which extend under the toe rest.

9. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of flat shoe-supporting pins inclined upwardly toward the front of the rack, the outer ends of adjacent pins being spaced apart to receive and support shoes and the upper surfaces of the pins having their rearward side edge portions beveled to form grooves which extend rearwardly from the spaces between the outer ends of the pins, and frame meme bers for supporting the pins, one of the frame members having openings in alignment with the grooves. 10. A shoe rack comprising a pluralityof flat shoe-supporting pins, a cross-bar upon which the pins rest between their ends, a back-rail for receiving the rearward ends of the pins, the outer ends of the pins being tilted upwardly and the outer ends of adjacent pins being spaced apart to receive between them the heel-parts, of shoes to be carried in the rack, and a toe rest extending across-the upper surfaces of the pins for positioning the foreparts of the shoes, the upper surfaces of the pins having beveled side edge portions which form grooves extending under the toe rest and the back-rail being provided with openings in alignment with the grooves.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARVEY L. GLIDDEN. 

